


Blue

by royalfirelily



Series: Zutara Week 2015 [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cobalt Blue, F/M, Zutara Week 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 01:53:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16052990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalfirelily/pseuds/royalfirelily
Summary: It was the colour she first saw, the colour she first loved, then hated and despised.





	Blue

**Author's Note:**

> and anotha one for zk week 2015!

It was the first colour she saw.

The first splash of life when she opened her eyes and met inquisitive eyes, the eyes of her brother, and when she looked around, she saw her mother and father with the same distinct blue.

It was the colour she saw in her surroundings, little toddler feet carrying her around their quaint village, the colour of the igloos, the parkas, the eyes of her people. The colour of the water when she made it move for the first time.

She realised she loved it, even though she was drowning in it, for there was no other colour here in the Southern Water Tribe, except the occasional greens and reds of trading packages. She loved it because wherever she moved the water, it was the colour it reflected, even though water is clear. She delighted in the moments where her tribe would look on and watch her bend her element, their element, into tiny ribbons of blue and occasional slivers of crystal. She basked in the happiness she felt when her parents and brother watched too, there was a glimmer in their eyes, their blue eyes shining with pride.

It was the colour that surrounded her for all her life, the sky, the snow, the water surrounding them.

But when she and her brother embarked on a journey to save the world with the Avatar, she realised the only semblance of the blues in her life from now on will only be her and her brother’s presence, their things from home, and each other.

  
—

She was wrong, she knew that now, when she said she wouldn't be seeing the blues of her childhood that much anymore.

The blue was everywhere, from the sky they travelled under and the seas they travelled above, they were in the middle of an endless stretch of blue, the colour she loved. Anywhere she looked, a hint of blue was there. It wasn't only special to her and her brother anymore too, stealing a glance at the boy at the reigns of the giant bison, she realised he had the blues in him too, his arrows glaringly noticeable from the stark contrast of the blue on his pale skin. Her companions always reminding her of her home, and she loved the colour even more.

She discovered she loved it even more when her hands made the water glow to the shade of blue she loved the most. Her bending prowess allowed her to heal with the glowing water, this she admitted was the reason she loved it even more.

—

When the Avatar went down, still smoking from the lightning, the first thought in her head was that the lightning that struck him down was the same vivid hue of the healing water she used, the same shade she favoured. She stepped back, caught off guard with the awareness of the similarities, but the initial shock wore off and she jumped into action, calling all the water in the cavern to ride the wave to catch Aang.

Please, please, please. She said it like a mantra in her head, hoping for the best and expecting the worst. His bright arrows that glowed with power not so long ago was fading, growing dull, his skin took on a sickly pallor. She had little time now, if she ever thought of reviving him. Suddenly appearing, Iroh held off the enemies and they escaped. Grateful for the old general’s actions, she sent up a silent prayer to Tui and La to keep him safe.

Safely retreating and on Appa’s back the implications of the recent battle hit her hard. How could a colour that healed people, kill them, hurt them too? She didn’t know what to feel towards her colour, her favourite colour, after that. She didn’t know if she loathed it now, maybe she did, she couldn't say.

She only prayed that the spirit water would bring back the Avatar, the saviour of their world, to life. Maybe she’ll dislike it a little less. She prayed that the blue would do good this time, doing the opposite of what it just did.

Thankfully, it did.

She despised the colour a little less after that, she merely tolerated it now. The colour only evoked a sense of a time that passed too quickly, her childhood, her carefreeness that ended with her feeling the dread of losing someone, someone who can, who will, change the world. No, enough was enough.

—

But when he came along, her mind changed, but she couldn't pinpoint the exact thing she was feeling. Nevertheless, the colour now reminded her of the times he spent asking, grovelling for her forgiveness, forgiveness for turning his back on her and her friends. He begged and pleaded in the night, when everyone else was asleep, since he asked for forgiveness for something else entirely. In the dark blue hue of the night, he continued on asking for her mercy, her forgiveness for betraying her trust completely.

She realised he was a different person then. If he was the same boy who followed them around the world relentlessly, thirsty to capture them, he wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t be begging for her mercy and acceptance at her feet, a mere peasant to his once prejudiced mind. The thought fascinated her, enchanted her even. However, she continued on giving him the cold shoulder, but this time it’s not that freezing anymore, just above a chill mixed with subtle smiles.

If she wasn't really paying attention to him, she wouldn't have noticed that he was just playing along with her. She wouldn't have noticed that he knew he was forgiven and just decided to humour her. Needless to say, she actually delighted in it.

She didn't know what this feeling in her chest was, this feeling that enveloped her when she saw a hint of blue, the colour her heart had associated with him. She decided she didn't really care.

—

It was the colour she first saw, the colour she first loved, then hated and despised.

But now, it was the only colour she saw. All around her a battle was raging between brother and sister, the Last Agni Kai, as Azula had called it. Blue versus orange, but the blue was brighter, fiercer, more powerful.

She feared for his life, the man that constantly begged for her forgiveness until she relented, but he didn’t stop there, he gave her this unnameable feeling in her chest, in her heart, or rather where her heart used to be, for it now belonged to him, he now held it in his hands, albeit unbeknownst to him.

Then the world was muted, awash in a grey-brown colour, the fighting had stopped momentarily. She stepped out from where she was huddled and faced the courtyard ready to face the outcome and heal him, god forbid, although what she saw stopped her in her tracks, it was the wrong move. Brother and sister faced the other, giving both a brief reprieve, but her sudden movement behind Zuko caught Azula’s attention. Her menacing eyes fixed on her, unseen by Zuko, and started going through the motions of something. Something, she noticed later on, something destructive.

It all happened so fast and all she saw was blue, the same electric blue that shot Aang. She stayed rooted on the spot, her battle-ready reflexes abandoning her, she was transfixed. This was the exact shade she favoured, she figured, and it was coming directly toward her. She couldn’t bring herself to look away, couldn’t break her gaze, the colour, the lightning, it all mesmerised her.

She snapped back to her senses, but realised it was all too late, she had lost precious moments to give her time to run away. This was how it was going to end, she thought, I was going to die because of a color, because of a shade. She accepted it, she understood.

She waited for the pain, the agony to hit her and end her, but it didn't come. Instead, a dark red figure blocked the path of destruction. “No!” she heard someone scream. What, who was that? Why are you screaming? She didn’t get it, where did that come from? Move out of the way! She screamed internally, not yet fully registering the events unfolding in front of her, but then it hit her all at once and realisation dawned on her.

“Zuko!” she screamed, running to him, gloving her hands with healing water. Manic laughter and blue flames stopped her in her path. She first had to deal with his mad sister. She did, thank Tui and La, and now she only had one goal in mind, save the damn boy who saved her. The boy that changed her mind about a lot of things, the boy that made her realise so much more, the boy that made her fall for him, under a dark blue hue of the night sky.

Please, please, please. She said it like a mantra, again. Please, Zuko, please.

He wasn’t dead, not yet. But when Katara reached him, he was quickly losing his warmth, he was twitching uncontrollably, blue sparks lit him up sporadically, his lips were turning blue. It’s that colour again, the colour of death, she thought, horrified.

She brought her gloved, glowing hands to his chest, where a starburst-shaped wound was, and concentrated. She closed her eyes, tears silently streaming down her cheeks, and concentrated still on bringing him back to consciousness, to heal him.

“Thank you, Katara,” a voice rasped below her. She opened her eyes, bright with happiness, and looked down at the wound. It was closing, but a scar was forming, and it was covered with blue. Startled, she pulled away, It’s the colour again, but now it gave back life, it healed Zuko.

Filled with happiness, she helped him up and hugged him. When they broke apart, she stole a quick kiss on his lips. Surprised, Zuko did not respond, but when his senses came back to him, he pulled her in and kissed her tenderly this time.

“I think I should be the one thanking you,” she breathed.

She stared into his bright golden eyes, so full of life, and saw her own vivid blue reflected back. Blue will always be a part of my life, from my eyes and my culture, to my element, to Zuko, who was brought back because of the glowing blue.

She realised she loved the blue after all, for it brought back the man she loved.


End file.
